Mail-box.



5 SHBETS SHEET 1.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

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Amway/{Mm M. KiLIAN.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1909.

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MAIL BOX, 7 APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1909. v i 95 L090 Patented Mar.1, 191() 5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

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awaentoz M. KILIAN.

MAIL BOX.

- APPLICATION FILED APR; 2'], 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Snuentoz Mar/Milan Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

un W250 M. KILIAN.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1909.

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UNITED STATES ATN FFIG E.

MAXIMILIAN KILIAN, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMALIEBERTI-IA KILIAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MaxmrrtL-ix KILIAN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and more particularly to that typeof box made of sheet metal and adapted to be stationed upon a street orat the intersection of streets to receive mail to be collected by apostman.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a mail box with anovel shutter adapted to be manually opened to permit of mail beingdeposited in the box, after which the shutter is adapted to closeautomatically to protect the contents of the box from the forces ofnature, also from persons that might try to rifle the box through theopening provided by the shutter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strong and durable mailbox having a hinged door permitting of a postman pro vided with a keyopening the box and easily obtaining the contents thereof, the door inan open position forming a shelf or ledge for the accumulation of mailremoved from the box preparatory to the postman placing the same in thecollecting bag or wagon.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel pedestal thatcan be positively anchored in a side walk for rigidly and safelysupporting a mail box, which can be detached from the pedestal byanthorized persons, when it is necessary to renew or repair the box.

The invention in its broadest aspect involves simple and efficient meansfor facilitating the operation of depositing matter in the box andsafely protecting the contents of a box whereby the contents cannot besurreptitiously moved through the depositing opening of the box. To thisend, I have devised a mailing box embodying a plurality of structuralelements which when combined provide a safe and easily manipulated boxfrom the standpoint of the mail depositor and mail collector.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, but I desire itto be understood that thestructural elements thereof are sus- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1909.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

Serial No. 492,468.

ceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of theinvention.

Reference now being had to the drawings forming part of thisapplication, Figure l is a perspective view of the mail box,illustrating the manner in which the pedestal of the box is anchored ina side walk, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the box partly broken away,Fig. 3 is an end view of the box partly broken away and partly insection, Fig. 4 is a similar view of a portion of the box partly brokenaway and partly in section, illustrating the inner side of the hingeddoor, Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of the box partly brokenaway and partly in section, illustrating in dotted lines the hinged doorin an open position, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of thetransverse support forming part of the box, Fig. 7 is a perspective viewof a portion of one of the side frames of the box, Fig. 8 is anelevation of a portion of a piece of material adapted to be bent to formone of the side walls of the box, Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective viewof a portion of the box with the protecting plate thereof removed, Fig.10 is a perspective view of a detached hinged door forming part of thebox, Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the hingeddoor, illustrating the protecting plate thereof, Fig. 12 is a verticalsectional view of a portion of the box showing the revoluble cooperatingshutters thereof in a closed position, Fig. '13 is a similar view withthe shutters thereof in an open position, and Fig. 14 is a horizontalsectional view of a portion of a box showing the cooperating mechanismof the shutters of the box.

The mail box in its entirety is constructed of strong and durable metal,consisting of casings and sheet metal parts pressed and shaped toprovide a box having a large capacity for letters and parcels, themetallic parts of the box being assembled to provide a rigidequi-balanced structure that will present a neat appearance upon thestreet.

An important characteristic of the invention is the revoluble shutterscontrolling the deposit of mail in the box, these shutters conforming todrums having openings adapted to register when mail is being depositedin the box, and adapted to automatically move out of registration afterthe shutters have been released, whereby the contents of the box will befully protected.

The arrangement of the operating mechanism between the revolubleshutters of the box, together with the stability of the box, permits ofa person easily manipulating the shutters to deposit mail, and by virtueof a hinged door located at one end of the box, a postman canexpeditiously remove matter therefrom.

Considering the various features of the invention in detail, referencewill first be had to the pedestal.

Bow pedestal-The box pedestal co1n prises four radially disposed andequally spaced arms 1, said arms being of an equal, length with theouter ends thereof connected by angularly disposed webs 2. Each arm isof an inverted V-shape in cross section, with the outer ends of saidarms slanting, as at 3, while the inner ends of said arms terminate inan integral socket 4, said socket having an interiorly screw threadedseat 5 and a central opening 6. Screwed into the seat 5 is a cylindricalmetallic post 7 having the upper end thereof exteriorly screw threaded,as at- 8. Screwed upon the upper end of the cylindrical post 7 is atransverse support 9 having a central vertical opening 10. The outerends of said support are bifurcated, as at 11, and provided withrecesses 12 the object of which will hereinafter appear. In connectionwith the cylindrical post 7, a tie rod 13 is used, said rod extendingupwardly through the openings 6 and 10. The lower end of the tie rod 13is provided with a head l-it adapted to seat in a recess 15 formed inthe bottom of the socket 1 and surrounding the opening (3 thereof. Thehead 1st is retained within the recess 15 by rivets 1G or similarfastening means. The upper end of the tie rod 13 is provided with athreaded opening 17, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

i As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the base of the pedestal isadapted to be embedded in the side walk, and the shape of the arms 1together with their connecting webs permits of the pedestal being firmlyanchored to maintain the same in a firm upright position.

B050 St7LtCtU76.Tl1Q box structure arranged upon and held by thetransverse sup port 9, comprises a bottom plate 18, a front wall 19, arear wall 20, and end walls 21 and 22. The front and rear walls 19 and20 at a point approximately one half their depth are bent inwardly, asat 23, and the end walls 21 and 22 are shaped to close the space betweenthe front and rear walls 19 and 20. The bottom plate 18 is provided witha central opening 24 to receive a screw 25 adapted to screw into thethreaded opening 19 of the tie rod 13 and retain the bot tom plate uponthe transverse support 9. The bottom plate 18 at one end thereof isprovided with hinged members 26 adapted sions to longitudinally alinewith hinged mem bers 27 carried by the lower edge of a hinged. door 28said door closing that portion of the end of a box beneath the end walls22 and the front and rear walls 19 and 20. This door will be consideredmore fully under another caption. The longitudinal edges of the bottomplate 18 are bentdownwardly, as at 29, and riveted or otherwise secured,as at 30, to said bottom plate are the front and rear walls 19 and 20 ofthe box structure. The lower edges of these walls are adapted to seat insockets 31 provided therefor in side frames 32 adapted to fit in thebifurcated ends of the transverse support 9, said side frames havingexten- 33 adapted to protrude into and seat in the recesses 12 at theends of the transverse support 9. The side' frames 32 are provided withupwardly extending curved extensions 31 which are riveted, or otherwisesecured, as at 35, to the front and rear walls 19 and 20 of the boxstructure. These extensions of the side frames add rigidity to the boxstructure and firmly hold the same relative to the transverse support 9detachably mounted upon the upper end of the cylindrical post 7. T 0 addfurther rigidity to the front and rear walls 19 and 20, and at the sametime provide certain elements that are necessary in connection with thehinged door 28, the front and rear walls 19 and 20 are provided withcorner pieces 36, these pieces being formed integral with the front andrear walls 19 and 20, when the same are stamped or sheared from sheetmetal, and then bent upwardly into a plane parallel with the front andrear walls. The corner pieces 86 are substantially sector shaped and thecurved edges of said corner pieces are offset, as at 37, to protrudeunder the extensions 8% of the side frames 82, whereby the rivets 35will simultaneously secure the extensions to the side frames and thecorner pieces to the walls 19 and 20. The corner pieces 36 are cut away,as at 38, to provide clearance for the pintles or pins 39 employed forhinging the door 28 to the bottom plate 18. The inner sides of thecorner pieces 30 adjacent to the offset portion thereof are providedwith inwardly projecting lugs 10, the purpose of which will presentlyappear in connection with the hinged door 28. The upper portion of therear wall 20 is curved toward the front wall 19 to form a roof or coverll for the box structure, and the upper portion of the front wall 19 iscut away to provide an elongated opening 42, the material of the frontwall 19 bordering upon the lower edge of said opening being bentinwardly, as at 13, to serve functionally as a stop, while the forwardedge of the roof 41 is flared upwardly, as at it, to permit of easyaccess being had to the opening Q2.

The hinged (Zoom-This door as heretofore referred to and designated 28is provided with sector-shaped parallel side flanges 45, located at thelower side edges of the door and provided with projecting lugs at. Theselugs are adapted to engage the lugs of the corner-pieces 36 of the frontwall 19, and limit the outward or opening movement of the door 28,saidlugs maintaining the door in approximately a horizontal position, whenopen, whereby the door will serve functionally as a shelf or ledge forthe accumulation of mail matter removed from the box structure, prior toplacing the same in a collecting bag or wagon. The door 28 adjacent tothe upper edge thereof and upon the inner side is provided with a lockcasing 47 adapted to hold a conventional form of lock 47, preferably ofthat type at present used in connection with mail boxes. register with akey opening 48 formed in the door 28, and in order that the key openingor hole 48 can be closed to prevent foreign matter from entering thesame, the hinged door 28 contiguous to the key open ing or hole 48 isprovided with a pivoted shutter 4E9 having a crank 50 to facilitate theoperation of opening or closing the shutter 49. Since the hinged door 28corresponds to the cross sectional area of the lower part of the boxstructure, easy access can be had to the interior of the box forremoving letters and parcels, and with the side flanges of said doorextending between the front and rear walls of the box, and thecorner-piece thereof, it is obvious that the door 28 cannot sag or shiftby reason of the pintle or pivoted pin 39 thereof becoming loose in thehinged members of the bottom plate 18 and the door 28.

IrrFigs. 1 and 11, of the drawings, I have illustrated the door 28 asprovided with a protecting plate 51, said plate being riveted orotherwise secured, as at 52, to the door lVhen this plate is used inconnection with the door, said plate is provided with a key opening 53adapted to register 'ith the key opening 48 and in lieu of mounting theshutter upon the door 28, said shutter is mounted upon the protectingplate 51. The protecting plate 51 is provided with side flanges 54'adapted to overlap the edges of the walls 19 and 20 of the box structureand exclude foreign ma ter that would otherwise have a tendency to enterthe space between the front and rear walls 19 and 20 and the end piecethereof.

An important feature in connection with the hinged door 28 is thearrangement of the extensions of the corner pieces 36 which servefunctionally as guides for the side flanges 45 of the door, the frontand rear walls preventing the side flanges of the door from defacing ormutilating the contents of the box when the door is opened. Consider-This lock is adapted to arranging the hinged door wherebythe sideflanges thereof will move upon the exterior of the front and rear wallsand at the same time be fully protected by the corner pieces of the box.

The reooluble cooperating shutters. In the upper end of the boxstructure there are located revoluble shutters adapted to. normallyclose the opening 42 of the front wall 19, shutters protecting thecontents and the interior of the box structure and at the same timepermitting mail matter to be deposited in the box when the said shuttersare manually manipulated to open the box. The revolvable shutterscomprise an outer drum 55 and an inner drum 56, these drums having theends thereof closed, as at 57 and 58 respectively, while the body of thedrum'55 is provided with a longitudinal opening 59 and the body of thedrum 56 with oppositely disposed longitudinal openings 60 and 61, theopenings 59 and 60 of said drums registering when the shutters areclosed, and the openings 59 and 61 registering when the shutters areopen for the deposit of'mail matter. F or supporting the inner drum 56*ithin the outer drum 55 and both of said drums within the upper part ofthe box structure, the inner sides of the end walls 21 and 22 areprovided with oppositely disposed bearings 62. J ournaled in thesebearings are shafts 63, the inner ends of said shafts rev olublysupporting the inner drum 56, while the outer drum 55 is supported uponrectangular portions 64: of said shafts, said drum rotating with theshafts 63.

Mounted upon the rectangular portions 64L of the shafts 63 are gearwheels 65 meshing with gear wheels 66 revolubly carried by pins 67 fixedin the inn-er sides of the walls 21 and 22. The gear wheels 66 mesh withsector shaped racks 68 fixed to the ends of the inner drum 58, wherebywhen the outer drum 55 is moved in one direction, the inner drum 56 willbe moved in an opposite di rection, causing the openings 61 and 59 toregister, when the outer drum 55 is moved, as will presently appear. Theouter drum 57 is provided with a semi-circular opening 69 providingclearance for the gear wheels 66, when said outer drum is shifted, andin order that said drums can be easily moved, that portion of the drumexposed by the opening 42 is provided with an enlargement 70 having asuitable handle 71 permitting of a person easily gripping the outer drum55 to move the same, whereby the opening 59 will register with theopening 61 and allow mail matter to be deposited in the inner drum 56.

The inner drum 56 between the openings 60 and 61 and at the rear innerside ot the drum is provided with a weight 72 adapted the contents ofthe inner drum 56 will be deposited into the box structure. Inconnection with these drum like shutters I reserve the right tore-arrange the gear wheels (3% and G6 and the racks 68, withoutdeparting from the relative movement of the inner and outer drums.

To operate the cooperating closures of the box to deposit mail matter inthe same, it is only necessary to elevate the handle 71, which moves theouter drum to cause the opening 59 thereof to register with the opening42, this movement of the outer drum causing the inner drum 56 to revolvewhereby the opening 61 thereof registers with the opening 59. Mailmatter can then be placed in the inner drum and immediately upon thehandle 71 being released, the weight 72 of the inner drum returns thedrums to their normal position, with the openings 59 and G0 registering,whereby the contents of the inner drum will be deposited into the box.The simultaneous movementof the inner and outer drums is automaticallyaccomplished through the medium of the gears 65, 66 and the rack 68,these gears and rack causing the outer drum to move in a differentdirection from the inner drum, whereby in one position of said drums theopenings 59 and 60 will register and in another position the openings42, .59 and 61 will register, with the weight 72 in position toimmediately cause the drums to revolve when the handle 71 is released.

The revoluble drums are made of a sufficient size to hold considerablemail matter and the opening 4-2 is sutliciently large to permit ofconsiderable matter being placed in the drums. Since that portion of thebox structure beneath the revoluble cooperating closures is free frommechanism, mail matter can be easily deposited in the box structure, andremoved by opening the hinged door 28.

In mounting the box structure upon the cylindrical post 7, it ispreferable to use right hand screw threads and to use a left hand screwthreaded screw 25, whereby said screw will prevent the box structurefrom being bodily removed from the post or pedestal, except byauthorized persons having access to the interior of the box structure tofirst remove the screw 25.

Having now described my invention, what- I claim as new, is

1. A mail box comprising a receptacle having one of the end wallsthereof cutaway, each of the side walls of said receptacle provided withan extension adapted to be bent upon its respective wall to form anexterior pocket, a door hinged to said receptacle and adapted to closethe cut-away portion thereof and further adapted when in a closedposition to extend in said pockets, and means carried by a wall of eachof said pockets and cooperating with means on the door for limiting theopening movement of the latter.

2, A mail box comprising a receptacle e1nbodying a bottom plate, front,rear and end walls, sector-shaped corner pieces formed integral with thefront and rear walls and bent to extend upwardly and in parallelism withthe outer faces of the front and rear walls, each of said sector-shapedcorner pieces at one end provided with an inwardlyextending lug, saidlugs engaging the outer faces of the front and rear walls for spacingsaid pieces away from said walls and furthermore constituting a stop,curved members engaging with said corner pieces for securing the inneredges thereof to the front and rear walls, one of said end walls beingcut away to provide an outlet opening for the receptacle, a door hingedat its lower end to said bottom plate and constituting a means forclosing the said outlet opening, segment-shaped flanges formed integralwith the door at the lower portion thereof and adapted to extend betweensaid corner pieces and the front and rear walls of said box,protuberances at one corner of said side flange and adapted to engagesaid lugs whereby the opening movement of the door will be arrested,said front wall provided with an inlet opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

MAXIMILIAN KILIAN.

Witnesses J os. Gr. ORMSBY, DAVID FURNIER.

